The appeal was greeted with outrage by Cork residents and flood-hit traders who had demanded conciliation talks over the flood damage and the implications of a High Court ruling last week.

The High Court ruled the ESB was 60pc liable for the €20m in flood damage caused to the University College Cork (UCC) campus in an action take by the college in consultation with its insurer, Aviva.

The floods in November 2009 caused €130m worth of damage in Cork.

Last night, the ESB confirmed it would challenge the judgment.

"ESB, in consultation with its legal advisers, has decided to appeal the recent judgment of the High Court in the case taken against ESB by UCC," a spokesperson said.

"ESB is firmly of the view that following the heavy rains in November 2009, the actions of its staff in the management of the Lee dams protected Cork from the worst of the flooding."

However, traders and residents expressed disappointment with the ESB stance. "The last thing in the world that anyone wanted to see is several more years spent fighting this matter through the courts," Mardyke Residents Association spokesman Barry Keane said.

"We will have a special meeting on the flood issue shortly and our appeal is for the ESB to do everything it can to bring a final resolution to this issue which has dragged on for six years."